How to review your health and safety policy

Last reviewed on 26 April 2023
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Statutory/mandatory for: Maintained schools Academies Free schools Independent schools Sixth-form colleges Further education Pupil referral units

Get to grips with how to scrutinise your school's health and safety policy. Download our model policy to see what good looks like and see examples of policies from primary, secondary and special schools.

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Contents

  1. Key facts
  2. What this policy needs to do
  3. 3 questions to challenge the policy 
  4. Download our model policy 
  5. Examples from schools and trusts

What this policy needs to do

While schools must have a health and policy in place, there's no specific version they must follow.

The DfE has non-statutory guidance on health safety for schools, which suggests what your school's policy should contain. 

Every health and safety policy contains 4 elements

  1. Plan - leaders should set the direction for effective health and safety management
  2. Do - introduce management systems and practices that deal with risks sensibly, responsibly and proportionately
  3. Check - monitoring and reporting
  4. Act - a formal management review of health and safety performance

It should be proportionate and relevant to your school

Your policy should include:

The specifics of every school or trust's policy will look slightly

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